Attorney
If you try to negotiate your personal injury claim by yourself without an attorney on your side, you might wonder if you are getting treated fairly by the careless party’s insurance company. You might feel pressured or uneasy and question whether you are getting ripped off. When you worry that you might have taken a knife to a gunfight, you are probably asking, how do I know if an insurance claims adjuster is trying to trick me?
A Maryland personal injury attorney can even the playing field for you by negotiating directly with the insurance claims adjuster on your behalf. Personal injury lawyers have the resources and experience to protect you from getting tricked or manipulated. Let’s cover some of the common situations in which injured people might get duped.
Misunderstanding the Role of the Insurance Claims Adjuster
The claims adjuster might be friendly and personable, causing you to misunderstand the person’s role. The adjuster works for the insurance company, not for you. Insurance companies make their profits by paying as little as possible on valid claims.
The adjuster’s job is to get you to agree to accept less than the authorized maximum settlement on your claim. It is not the claims adjuster’s job to give you legal advice or tell you how much money a jury would likely award to a person in your situation.
The Claims Adjuster Asks You to Give a Recorded Statement
Claims adjusters often ask injured people to give a recorded statement. They tell the injured person that the recorded statement is their opportunity to tell their side of the story. In reality, the primary goal of a recorded statement is to get a written transcript of the recording that might provide justification for the insurance company to pay you less than you would otherwise deserve.
You do not receive a copy of the transcript. The claims adjuster can “cherry-pick” portions of the transcript and take them out of context to create something you never intended to say. If the claims adjuster asks you to give a recorded statement, you can tell him to talk to your lawyer, who can provide all the information the adjuster needs.
How Delays Could Cost You Your Entire Damages Claim
If you suspect that the claims adjuster is taking too long to investigate your injury claim or respond to your questions, you might be correct. You see, our state gives you very little time to take legal action for personal injuries. The claims adjuster knows the deadline for your case. If the claims adjuster manages to delay the processing of your claim past the deadline, the defendant and insurance company will not have to pay you any money for your claim.
How to Avoid Falling for a Low-Ball Settlement Offer
Sometimes the claims adjuster will offer you a check to settle your claim against their insured. What you might not realize is that you will only receive that one check, and you will have to pay all of your losses like medical bills out of that money. When you deduct those items from the amount of the check, you might find the offer leaves you almost nothing.
A Maryland personal injury attorney can protect you from these and other tactics that insurance claims adjusters use when processing personal injury claims. Get in touch with our office today for legal help with your case, we offer a free consultation.